MARYLAND TEACHER PREPARATION DIVERSITY STANDARDS
http://www.umbc.edu/diversity
3 STANDARDS & OUTCOMES
I.
PARTNERSHIPS
INDICATORS
1.
Reflect the particular diversity of local public schools. For teacher preparation
units in proximity to high-poverty, urban, rural, predominantly Latino and
African American communities, particular consideration should be paid to:
providing extended opportunities for professional development with
experienced teachers in locally diverse contexts as a standard, integrated part of
the pre-service experience.
2.
Offer mutually beneficial professional development opportunities for university
and PreK-12 staff, learners, and pre-service teachers.
3.
Reflect relevant theoretical and pedagogical principles of teaching and learning
that are specific to the diversity of the local context.
4.
Illustrate productive relationships between school personnel and community
practitioners, organizations and businesses.
5.
Promote PreK-12 student learning and attainment.
6.
Involve university faculty from liberal arts and sciences.
1.
Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of human diversity within a
democratic society and global context by locating and using non-biased (i.e.,
not stereotypical, discriminatory, or prejudiced) information from multiple
perspectives that takes into consideration the experiences and contributions of
diverse social groups in U.S. and world history. Particular consideration should
be paid to: illustrations; exclusion or invisibility; story line; balance; unreality;
stereotyping; life styles; relationships; language; fragmentation; heroes; selfimage; author background/perspective; terminology/language; resources used;
and copyright date.
2.
Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of human diversity within a
democratic society and global context by integrating non-biased instructional
materials across the content areas that foster students' knowledge and
appreciation of diverse group and individual experiences. Particular
consideration should be paid to: incorporating an appreciation for diversity and
complexity within the curriculum and instruction; including diverse
perspectives within the curriculum regardless of local student demographics;
providing opportunities in class to discuss the diversity of human experience
both within and across social groups.
3.
Understand how implicit assumptions and biases within a content area
influence the ways in which knowledge and intelligence are constructed and
contribute to educational inequalities by adapting the educational environment
and curriculum to draw upon students’ social identities and the diverse cultural,
linguistic, and socioeconomic realities of their local communities. Particular
consideration should be paid to: drawing upon specialized research, literature
and local resources to learn about students’ communities; referencing popular
media most utilized by students to discover more about their social interests
and influences; integrating students’ interests and daily realities into curricular
design.
4.
Demonstrate knowledge of how status differences (relative power and
privilege) are manifested in worldviews by reflecting upon their own relative
statuses and how their social identities impact their teaching and relationships
within the educational community. Particular consideration should be paid to:
taking time to establish rapport with students, families and community
members; being explicit about their own backgrounds; openly addressing role
as learner by recognizing students’ contributions.
PreK-16 partnerships:
A.
Provide pre-service teachers with highquality professional development
opportunities that contribute to the
advancement of student learning and
achievement in diverse public PreK-12
institutions.
II. CONTEXTUALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING
Pre-service teachers:
A.
Support diverse learning styles and
outcomes, as well as global and
multicultural perspectives, by organizing an
educational environment and utilizing
effective instructional techniques that
optimize learning and high achievement
among all students.
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MARYLAND TEACHER PREPARATION DIVERSITY STANDARDS
http://www.umbc.edu/diversity
II. CONTEXTUALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING
[cont.]
A.
5.
Understand how implicit assumptions and biases within a content area
influence the ways in which knowledge and intelligence are constructed and
contribute to educational inequalities by differentiating instruction to reflect
diverse learning styles. Particular consideration should be paid to: organizing a
variety of flexible classroom arrangements so learning structures are varied
[individual and small, medium, and whole group structures] to discourage strict
ability grouping; nurturing multiple intelligences and higher order thinking
skills through instructional approaches and content selection; diminishing use
of traditional classroom recitation styles and utilizing lectures as only part of
instructional repertoire; including drill-type activities as a temporary means for
building critical skills needed for engaging in more complex activities;
establish research stations for inquiry-based projects; providing opportunities
for students to address academic weaknesses while capitalizing on their assets;
cultivating students’ intellectual, social, and physical development.
6.
Understand how expectations have a profound impact on the self-esteem and
educational outcomes of all learners by setting clear, high standards for all
students through planning, accelerated instruction, and classroom management.
Particular consideration should be paid to: establishing and enacting consistent,
explicit performance and disciplinary criteria for all students; developing a rich
curriculum that promotes higher order thinking skills among all learners;
adopting an inquiry-based, theme-oriented curriculum that asks students to
critically analyze and engage in the world; generating positive, supportive
feedback based on actual academic achievement and behaviors toward the
completion of student work; establishing sensible but rigorous expectations of
each student; organizing opportunities for all students to assume leadership
roles within the classroom; providing on-going opportunities for student
conferencing, as well as for continuous goal-setting and review; making
available a rich array of classroom materials, including hands-on resources.
7.
Insure an equitable classroom environment in light of the role status differences
(relative power and privilege) play in school settings. Particular consideration
should be paid to: calling on students in a manner that assures equitable
participation; allocating classroom assignments, rewards, and feedback fairly;
arranging the classroom to encourage integrated and unbiased seating and
interaction; drawing upon the constructive dimension of peer group dynamics
within instructional planning and classroom management [peer coaching,
editing, input on management etc]; providing equitable wait time and attention;
generating positive, supportive feedback based on actual academic achievement
and behaviors for all students; recognizing when it is appropriate to adjust for a
student’s social and/or academic background within curriculum and instruction.
8.
Adapt the educational environment and curriculum to foster students’ home
language varieties (dialects and languages other than English) while facilitating
Standard English literacy. Particular consideration should be paid to:
sanctioning student use of home dialects and languages other than English in
social situations within the school setting; teacher reflecting on (her/his) own
dialect variety openly with students; making explicit the roles different dialects
and languages play in schools and U.S. society; overtly emphasizing the
acquisition of the Standard dialect through academic work; incorporating the
student's home dialect or language into curriculum and instruction; utilizing a
contrastive approach in classroom activities to make clear variations in
structure, style, and role of context in dialect and language usage;
demonstrating an overarching emphasis on language usage and communication,
not form, in curriculum and instruction; avoiding and discouraging student
overcorrection; exhibiting clear communication when interacting with students;
for speakers of other languages; using instructional strategies that reduce strict
dependence on written or spoken language and simplify the cognitive demands
presented by the content or activity; prohibiting opportunities for humiliation
around language varieties in the classroom or on campus.
[cont.] Support diverse learning styles and
outcomes, as well as global and
multicultural perspectives, by organizing an
educational environment and utilizing
effective instructional techniques that
optimize learning and high achievement
among all students.
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MARYLAND TEACHER PREPARATION DIVERSITY STANDARDS
http://www.umbc.edu/diversity
II. CONTEXTUALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING
[cont.]
9.
Adapt the educational environment and curriculum to promote respect and
positive social interactions. Particular consideration should be paid to:
modeling non-stereotypical thinking; displaying concern and respect through
student interactions; making explicit the intrinsic value of students’ opinions
and ideas to the classroom community; overtly discussing issues related to
inequality and social justice; confronting bias or discriminatory behavior when
encountered in a classroom or school setting; addressing and resolving any
discomfort the pre-service teacher may have with certain students; providing
opportunities for cooperative, integrated student activities; taking time to
establish rapport with students, families and community members;
understanding how cultural variables affect non-verbal behavior and adjusting
to facilitate positive non-verbal communication.
A.
[cont.] Support diverse learning styles and
outcomes, as well as global and
multicultural perspectives, by organizing an
educational environment and utilizing
effective instructional techniques that
optimize learning and high achievement
among all students.
B.
Demonstrate a mastery of assessment,
measurement, and evaluation techniques
that recognize the effects of status
differences and optimize student learning
and high achievement among all students.
1.
Recognize bias in and the limitations of assessments through their selective use
of data from standardized tests and other forms of assessment in their planning
and instruction.
2.
Demonstrate an ability to make assessment an integral part of the teaching and
learning process by devising and utilizing a range of assessment, measurement,
and evaluation strategies that facilitate active learning and student achievement.
Particular consideration should be paid to: providing comprehensive
opportunities for formative evaluation through pre-, mid-point, and postactivity performance assessments; including open-ended, deductive, inductive,
contrastive, metacognitive and problem-solving types of questioning prompts
in classroom activities; ensuring students are assessed continually to determine
suitable placement; taking time with each student to help them identify learning
objectives, learn from failure, honor successes, and understand assessments;
integrating assessments throughout cooperative learning activities; analyze
disaggregated test data; incorporating inquiry or project-based approaches that
offer extended opportunities for student engagement and collaboration on
performance-based activities; developing student portfolios that adequately
reflect the quality and scope of student work; engaging students in the
development, review, and presentation of their portfolios; drawing upon
feedback from other teachers and family members to inform decision-making.
Illustrate an understanding of family and
school dynamics in promoting student
learning and high achievement among all
students through the use of inclusive
strategies for building partnerships with the
broader educational community.
1.
Foster school/community relationships by initiating extra-curricular
opportunities that draw upon families as resources and support student learning.
2.
Adapt the curriculum and instruction to encourage family participation within
and beyond the school setting.
3.
Engage in instructive, courteous interactions with family members.
4.
Understand how cultural variables affect non-verbal communication and
demonstrate a familiarity with basic communication strategies that affect
school-community relationships. Particular consideration should be paid to:
eye contact; personal space; time; personal privacy; role expectations; view of
authority; and other background variables.
5.
Identify and draw upon school and community-based specialists and human
resources.
6.
Communicate concerns as well as praise and helpful information when
providing feedback to parents.
C.
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MARYLAND TEACHER PREPARATION DIVERSITY STANDARDS
http://www.umbc.edu/diversity
II. CONTEXTUALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING
[cont.]
D.
Have a working knowledge of local, state
and national policies related to education
and their content area/s of specialty that
address contextually responsive teaching in
diverse settings.
E.
Demonstrate a commitment to professional
growth related to the improvement of
teaching and learning in diverse contexts.
1.
Describe the effects of these policies on the teaching and learning environment,
and specifically evaluate how they inform their professional growth and support
learning and high achievement among all students. Particular consideration
should be paid to: recognizing biased policies or practices and countering their
effects by adjusting curriculum, instruction, management and school-community
relationships; involving school administrators, staff, and the local community in
changing biased policies or practices.
1.
Engage in continual, critical reflection on her/his teaching and school and
community relationships expressly as they relate to improving learning and
instruction in the local setting.
2.
Identify and participate in professional organizations and educational
opportunities that contribute to effective teaching in diverse settings.
3.
Develop relationships and opportunities for inquiry that enhance instruction and
learning in diverse settings.
4.
Build and share resources, materials, and effective practices related to improving
teaching and learning with colleagues and other members of the educational
community.
III. MINORITY RECRUITMENT AND
RETENTION
Schools, colleges and departments of education:
A.
1.
Develop a long-range needs-assessment and implement a comprehensive plan
for the recruitment and retention of minority pre-service teachers, including
pre-service teachers of color, individuals with disabilities and targeted gender
groups. Particular consideration should be paid to: establishing clear goals;
ensuring on-going involvement, dedication and cooperation among
stakeholders; building programs that target pre-collegiate and higher education
students, paraprofessionals and career changers; adjusting the plan to address
potential minority pre-service teachers’ K-16 schooling experiences,
community concerns, and specific social and financial barriers; assisting
potential minority pre-service teachers with the college application process;
identifying and procuring funding; and nurturing minority pre-service teachers
by providing professional supports.
2.
Conduct a needs-assessment and implement a comprehensive plan for the
recruitment and retention of minority faculty, including faculty of color,
individuals with disabilities and targeted gender groups. Particular
consideration should be paid to: establishing clear goals; addressing barriers
within the local institutional context that may discourage minority recruitment
and retention on campus; developing a program/campus climate supportive of
diversity by tackling indifference, expectations, and resistance; publicizing the
job and work context; expanding the applicant pool; protracted recruiting with
an eye toward building a diversified recruitment network; taking appropriate
steps that prepare both the candidate and campus community for the
recruitment visit; insuring competitive salaries; and establishing mentoring and
other professional supports.
3.
For SCDEs in proximity to high-poverty, urban, rural, predominantly Latino
and African American communities, establish professional development
schools in diverse areas.
Increase the number of quality teacher
education faculty and pre-service teachers
from underrepresented groups.
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